Remember Me: A Sequel to Lost In a Memory
by TheSoundofMusic
Summary: How far would one struggle to have their loved one by their side again? What price would you pay to have your wishes granted? This sequel to Lost In A Memory follows Haku and Chihiro's daughter as she fights to find her own path and risks everything for the one she loves.
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

"_Who's that?" Ryou pointed at the girl who'd come home with his dad, while his twin sister Rita peeked out from behind their mother's apron. Their father, Kei, smiled and pushed the little girl forward, saying, "Be nice, Ryou. She's a new friend for you and Rita. Her name is Ichikawa Akari, and she'll be staying with us."_

_Ryou eyed the girl curiously, somewhat disgruntled at the idea that there would be yet another child in the house. Already he competed for attention with his twin sister; he wasn't looking forward to having another person sharing their parent's affection, especially someone who wasn't related at all. Just as he was about to say something rude, the girl turned her dark eyes on him and said, "It's nice to meet you, Tanaka-san. I'll be in your care now."_

_Something about the words "I'll be in your care" seemed to stick to Ryou, and instantly the girl went from being a burden to being something to be protected. Stepping forward and sticking his chest out, Ryou said proudly, "Don't worry, I'll definitely take care of you!"_

_Later that night, when all was dark and quiet in the house, Ryou was surprised as Akari quietly crept into his room and stood by his bed. Leaning against his elbow to prop himself up, he whispered, "Ichikawa-san? What's wrong?"_

_The girl just shook her head before muttering, "I don't like the dark. It's lonely…it's lonely without Daddy and Mommy…" Ryou hesitated, before scooting over and saying, "Come here". Quickly, Akari climbed into the bed with him and snuggled up to him, throwing an arm around his stomach as she whispered, "Thanks, Tanaka-san…"_

_Ryou blushed a little bit, never having been that close to another girl but his sister, and he cleared his throat before saying, "I promised I'd take care of you, didn't I? That, and you can just call me Ryou."_

"_Mmmkay," Akari yawned, "Ryou-kun. Call me Akari then."_

_Ryou looked away before snuggling a little closer and saying, "Okay…Akari."_

_As the two lay there in silence, Ryou finally asked, "Where do you come from anyways?"_

_He was surprised when she frowned before saying, "I don't really know. All I can remember is a dragon…I remember waking up around some tunnel, and there was a paper with an address on it so I followed it and came here. "_

_The eight-year-old looked at his new friend, then asked, "But you remember your mom and dad, right?"_

_Akari hesitated before saying, "I don't…I don't really remember. But I know it was something important…I came here for a reason. But why?" _


	2. Chapter 1

_**Chapter 1**_

He woke with a start, sitting up so quickly that he became entangled in the various blankets and sheets on his bed. As he struggled to get the material off, he fell off the bed with a loud thump. Cursing under his breath, Ryou finally managed to get the sheets off his head, and as he stared drowsily around his room he scratched his head.

Getting up with the blankets drawn around his shoulders like a cape, Ryou walked over to his window and looked out across the way to the still abandoned house next door. Shaking his head and wondering why he'd had such a nostalgic dream, Ryou was about to just get back to bed when there was a light tap at his door.

"Ryou?" her voice called softly, as another light tap punctuated her words. "Ryou, are you okay?"

Shuffling over to his door, the young man opened it to reveal Akari, who stood there looking at him curiously as she pulled up a sock. He stared at her uncomprehendingly until the thought hit him that she was up too early and he whispered, "What are you doing up so early? School's not for another hour and a half!"

Akari just gave him a smile before adjusting her skirt height a little and saying, "What else do I do in the mornings?"

Ryou just shook his head before shutting the door and heading to his dresser to grab some clothes. There was no way he was about let Akari go off by herself, even though ever since they'd been young she'd insisted on going on her own into the woods. As he pulled on his shorts, he smacked into the wall and cursed again. A laugh from the hall told him that Akari was waiting outside his room , and he hurried to finish changing so that they could get going.

* * *

"Seriously Akari," Ryou complained as they trekked through the woods, "I don't know why you keep coming out here every morning. There's nothing here."

Akari didn't answer, and Ryou continued to grumble under his breath as he followed her through the woods and down the path. The light reflected down through the trees, and just as he was getting ready to tell her that the two of them needed to head home for breakfast, she came to an abrupt spot.

"Here." She said quietly.

"What?"

"Here! This is the spot I keep seeing in my dreams!" Akari insisted, gesturing around the wood as if in doing so it would help her remember everything about the dream. Ryou looked around, noting the trees, the small moss covered statue, and the tunnel nearby. Turning to his distraught friend, he said gently, "Akari, it's just a dream."

"No, it has to be something more…why else would I keep having the same dream over and over?" Akari insisted, her eyebrows pushed together as she concentrated. Seeing her making such a frustrated face, Ryou sighed before poking her in the forehead and chiding, "If you make a face like that it'll stick that way."

Akari made another face before saying, "I don't know…it's like that dream is trying to tell me something. Maybe it's about where I came from…" She frowned, and Ryou immediately felt bad for teasing her instead of trying to comfort her. He hadn't forgotten how she'd shown up one day and had seemed to have no recollection of her life before, other than a vague memory of some mythical creature and a crumpled piece of paper with an address on it.

Her first week living in Ryou's house had been painful reminder that she knew nothing, what with Kei and Akira constantly asking questions about a man named "Haku" and a woman named "Chihiro." Poor Akari hadn't been able to tell them a thing, and as a result had been completely miserable.

While Akari muttered something to herself, Ryou felt a chill go down his spine as wind blew from behind and towards the nearby tunnel, as if urging the two teens to go inside. With a wary look at the dark entrance, he grabbed Akari by the arm and murmured, "C'mon, let's head to school. This place gives me the creeps."

* * *

Halfway up the hill to school, Ryou and Akari found themselves confronted by Rita, Ryou's twin sister. She stood in the middle of the path, blocking the way as she stared down the two of them. Neither Ryou nor Akari said anything, the three teens just watching each other with cautious eyes until Rita sighed and said, "You two weren't on another one of those morning dates, were you?"

"Rita!" Akari said with a blush, "They're not dates and you know that perfectly well!" Rita just laughed before ruffling Akari's hair, teasing the shorter girl mercilessly. As the two girls argued and laughed back and forth, Ryou followed behind them, giving a long sigh as he did so. Staring up at the trees that lined the hillside, the teen chewed the inside of his lip, wondering exactly when he'd started wishing that Rita's words weren't JUST words; how he wished that he and Akari went on dates!

Of course, Ryou was so busy sulking to himself that he failed to notice Akari glance back at him, her cheeks still pink at Rita's teasing. The long haired girl eyed her friend, taking in how tall he'd gotten and how much bigger he'd become since all those years ago when they were both little eight-year-olds. Akari was jolted out of her staring at Ryou when Rita pinched her roughly.

"Ow!" Akari complained, before blushing even more furiously at Rita's knowing look. With a long, loud sigh, Rita looked over her shoulder at her brother before winking at Akari and letting go of her friend, claiming loudly that she wanted to catch up with her friends. As Rita left the two behind, Ryou fell into step with Akari and the two walked up the hill in silence until Ryou brought up their trip to the woods again.

"Do you really think there's something out there?" Ryou speculated, edging closer to Akari as he said so. Akari hesitated, then frowned before complaining, "Well, I suppose it COULD just be a dream but all the same…"

When she shivered at the memory of her dream, Ryou edged even closer, and then avoiding looking at her put his arm around her shoulder. As he pulled her closer to him in a comforting, one-arm hug, he turned completely red and said in a gruff voice, "We'll figure it out. Don't worry."

Turning red again herself, Akari blushed and snuggled into his side before murmuring, "Yeah."

At the top of the hill, the two were greeted by the sight of other teenagers all streaming into the same building. Girls laughed in groups, swinging their bags in a carefree manger while boys murmured low to each other and leaned against lockers and walls.

Akari turned to say something to Ryou when he ruffled her hair fondly. When she looked up at him again, his cheeks were tinged pink as he muttered down to her, "I'm going to go put my stuff in my locker. Hurry up so we can go to class together."

With a smile, Akari hurried off, all thoughts of her dreams forgotten as she looked forward to her school day.


	3. Chapter 2

_**Chapter 2**_

There was a hesitation before Haku knocked firmly on the door.

He'd been waiting for far too long for this day, although he hadn't expected it to take as long as it had. Zeniba greeted him, sighing as she held the door still slightly closed, blocking the river spirit's view of what was inside her house. The old witch sighed, looking him over with a sad face. An agitated face looked back at her as Haku asked in a choked sort of voice, "Is he here? Did you bring him?"

Zeniba's face darkened, but she nodded slowly, watching as Haku's despairing face filled with some hope. His dark eyes flickered for the first time in years, and he eagerly went to take a step towards the doorway when Zeniba barred his way once more.

Giving him a stern look, she said, "Are you sure you want to do this, Haku? I don't think-"

"Zeniba, let me through; I want to see him. I want my daughter back…Akari is all I have left now. Let me in." Haku's voice was cold, and his eyes were hollow and dead, causing Zeniba to sigh again before opening the door and allowing him in.

Haku's eyes darted around the room before settling on the figure sitting casually at Zeniba's table. As the river spirit stepped closer, he raked his eyes over the figure who sat before him. Feet propped up on the table, the young man was rocking back in forth with the chair, a bored expression on his face.

"Are you the one I'm looking for then? Can you bring back my daughter?" Haku asked harshly, not caring how rude he may have sounded to the stranger. The figure stopped rocking for a second before slowly turning to look at him, the hood falling off to a reveal a fairly good looking teen, although the handsome face was marred by the twisted smile he wore.

"Of course. I'll do whatever you want…but not for free. What do you have to offer me, in return for me going to get your daughter from the Human World?"

Haku resisted the urge to shiver; Yubaba's voice was nothing in comparison to the cold, calculating voice that emanated from the young man. Zeniba watched nervously as Haku hesitated before saying, "I can offer you all I have…that is…"

The figure laughed mockingly, the frigid sound bouncing off the walls and repeating in a cruel way before he said, "I have no need for your possessions. No, I'd rather have something more substantial than that…why not offer me a soul instead?"

"Soul?"

There was another cackle as the figure said, "Well obviously. It's simple, really. I go fetch your daughter…and in return, you sign a contract saying that when we get back here, she belongs to me."

Angrily, Haku took another step forward before saying in a fierce voice, "What do you mean, my daughter will belong to you!?"

"Calm down," the man said, giving Haku an almost disgusted look. "I mean she'll marry me. I'm in need of a new wife anyways; the last one I had was several years ago."

Hesitantly, Haku asked, "What happened to your first wife?"

"Oh you know," the man shrugged, "She caught the Virus….and she died. There was no saving her…surely you of all people understand that?"

Haku grit his teeth, his fist clenched as his whole body started to shake. Glaring at the smirking man, he asked, "What is that supposed to mean?"

"It's well known when the wife of a famous river spirit dies, Kohaku."

With a sort of growl, Haku rushed to the man and grabbed him by the front of his robes, yelling at him, "That's no one's business but mine! Leave Chihiro out of this!"

The man just smiled all the more before Haku felt an invisible force twisting his arm back, and he grunted in pain as he was forced to the drop the young man before him. While Haku writhed in pain, the young man laughed and said, "Over excited, aren't we? That should calm you down. Now answer me, because you're wasting my time; do I get your daughter or not?"

Haku looked up as the pressure left him and said slowly, "If you can bring her back to me…then you can marry her. Is that good enough for you? Is that what you wanted to hear?"

There was a smile as the man whispered in a low voice, "_Yes."_

* * *

Once the man had left the room and the warmth was returned to the area, Zeniba helped a weak Haku to his feet. As she sat him down in a chair and No Face looked on worriedly, the old witch chided, "You shouldn't have done that, Haku. I've said this before and I'll say it again; that man is up to no good, and you shouldn't have agreed to giving him Akari. I thought you wanted your daughter back with you, not with someone like that."

Haku threw his hands up in frustration as he yelled, "I do want her back…at least if she's here in the Spirit World I can still see her. He may be powerful, but he won't stop me from seeing my own daughter, not at the price I've paid. I can't go to the Human World myself and fetch her…who else was I supposed to call?"

Zeniba turned around to make tea, muttering, "Chihiro would've never wanted this…"

There was a loud smack as Haku slammed his hands on the table and glared, while No Face fidgeted nervously from the corner. Standing up, the river spirit said roughly, "Chihiro is…Chihiro's gone. Akari is all I have left, and I can't give up on her. I don't know why she left so long ago, and it wasn't like I could have done anything while I was trying to nurse Chihiro back to health. Now that we finally got ahold of Shadow, he can bring back the only family I have left."

Zeniba turned to face Haku, and asked in a whisper, "But the cost of getting her back….to sell her soul to THAT sort of man….Haku, what have you done?"

* * *

**Goodness gracious it's been awhile since I started work on this story! But here we are. Two chapters :D Anyways, I finally got motivated to start again on this project, although I can't promise frequent updates the way I usually do in the summers. Be patient with me, dear readers!**

**Anyways, thanks all for reading, and if you're here because you read the first one and are happy that there's a second, then thank you too :) You guys are awesome!**

**Disclaimers here: No ownership of characters, pictures, etc. here! I just really like the movie XD**


	4. Chapter 3

_**Chapter 3**_

Akari was staring out the window when she first felt a sudden chill. With a shiver, she shook her head just as the teacher began announcing the last items of the day. Ryou caught her eye and nodded at her curiously, as if to ask what was wrong. Akari shrugged, and the two of them turned their attention to the teacher who announced that there was to be a new student coming in the next day.

Looking straight at Akari, the teacher said, "Ichikawa-san, I leave the new student in your hands. It'll be your job to show them around and make sure they know where they're going and what classes are about."

As soon as the bell rang, signaling the end of class, Akari felt her hair being ruffled teasingly by Rita, while Ryou sat surrounded by a few of his friends. Grinning down at her, Rita teased, "So you're teacher's favorite then? Always getting to show the new student around? Give someone else the chance to be the cute new student's best friend!"

Akari giggled and shoved Rita off, saying, "I don't know what you're talking about, Rita. They're not all cute new students, and besides that this one might be a girl. The teacher never said you know."

Rita rolled her eyes before pointing to where her brother was laughing with a tall fairly good-looking boy with a baseball cap. "Who got to show Ren-kun around when he first came here? And who did he confess to within a month of being at this school?" Rita asked her friend, watching as Akari shrunk a little in her seat apologetically.

"I turned him down, you still have a chance," Akari pouted as she stood up, grabbing her bag. "Besides, you know that the only person I wouldn't turn away is-"

"Yeah, yeah, I know." Rita waved her hand around. "Honestly, it's a wonder how you two can manage to live under the same roof without sneaking into each other's bedrooms at night the way you did when you were younger."

Akari turned a bright red and began to stutter, waving her hands frantically as she said, "Th-that was ages ago! And we didn't know any better, we were just kids! Besides, I'd be happy with him just seeing me as a girl and not a friend or sister…"

Rita shook her head at Akari and then pointed to herself, exclaiming, "I'M a sister. You're obviously not one, considering how gently he treats you. Think about it, Akari, he totally likes you the same way you like him."

"Rita don't joke about something like that!" Akari pouted even more, but before Rita could open her mouth to continue her case she was tapped lightly on the head by a book. Turning around, Rita found herself looking up into her brother's face, where he wore a displeased look.

"Are you teasing Akari again?" Ryou asked, one eyebrow raised while Akari suddenly became severely interested in the floor. Closing her mouth into a tight line, Rita glared at her brother before shrugging and leaning back in her chair. Ryou, seeing this, sighed before looking at where Akari was still staring with extreme concentration at the floor.

"Come on, Akari," he said, grabbing her bag, "let's go home. Rita, you coming with us?" Rita eyed the two of them before standing up and grabbing her own bag.

With a wink in Akari's direction, Rita replied, "Nah, I think I'll have to pass on that. You two go have fun…I'll go home with Kyoko. See you at dinner."

* * *

The two were walking in silence when Ryou noticed what looked like the edge of an envelope sticking out of Akari's bag. Reaching down, he grabbed it. As Akari turned and watched, she blushed furiously as Ryou examined the pink envelope.

"What's-" he started to say, but found himself unable to finish as Akari snatched the paper out of his hand and backed away, blushing furiously. She'd been hiding the envelope from even Rita, and she DEFINITELY wasn't ready to let Ryou see it.

It was embarrassing enough that she was writing out a confession; how much more embarrassing would it be if the one she was confessing to was to find out beforehand?

As she attempted to stutter out explanations, Ryou's face grew stony. The way Akari was stumbling over her words, it was obviously a letter of confession, although to who he had no idea. The thought of Akari professing feelings for someone had him cross, although he was loathe to admit it to her. Turning away from his friend, he pouted and said, "So you can't tell me who it's even for?"

Akari felt terrible, watching Ryou's back and knowing he was angry that she was keeping secrets from him. Shuffling her feet, she shoved the pink envelope further into her bag before coming up behind her friend and softly tugging on the sleeve of his jacket. When he turned his head slightly to look down at her, he had to keep from blushing as he took in the sight of her looking at the ground, her own face on fire.

"Sorry," she mumbled, "I promise you'll find out….I just have to finish it first."

Ryou was about to say his own apologies when his cellphone rang, jarring the two of them and interrupting their conversation. Akari watched curiously as he flipped the phone open and held it up to his ear, listening carefully.

"Mmmhmm. Yeah. Okay. Bye."

She made a face as he closed it again and shoved into his bag. Leaning away from him she stuck her tongue out at him and asked, "Must all your conversations be so…detailed?"

With a grin, he lightly pushed her before heading off in a different direction from where they'd been headed. As Akari feel into step with him, she watched him rummage into his bag to produce his wallet. Counting the bills there, he sighed before looking at her with a half-smile and saying, "That was Mom. Seems she's low on some groceries and wanted us to stop by the store and grab a few things for her."

Before Akari could ask, he gave her a full on grin and said, "Yes, I have extra money for a treat. Come on, let's go." He blushed a bit, before looking away and reaching down for her hand as they entered a more crowded road. As people jostled them, he clutched her hand tighter, the pleased blush spreading when her tiny hand squeezed back in reassurance.

He was glad she couldn't see his face, although in looking away he failed to see how red her own features were.

* * *

Black eyes watched Akari as she carried a shopping basket and skipped beside Ryou. Raking his eyes over her approvingly, the figure stepped slightly out of the shadows and grinned to himself. The river spirit's daughter was quite pretty; in fact, far prettier than he'd expected. Carelessly shoving his blonde hair out of his face, the figure looked even closer at Akari, practically salivating as he took in her feminine features and delicate looks.

She was so innocent that it was almost unbearable for him to just stand there doing nothing.

Tossing his head up high, he confidently strode over towards where the two teens had their heads bent over a box, reading the ingredients. Without seeming obvious, he lightly bumped against Akari.

"Wah!" she made a small sound of alarm as she teetered forwards. Quickly Ryou reached out to catch her but was surprised when the young man who'd bumped into her grabbed her arm and pulled her upright. Giving her a charming smile, the young man left his hand on her arm as he allowed her straighten herself up. Once she was standing fine, he retracted his hand before bowing slightly.

"My apologies," he said in a silky voice, sounding as sincere as he could.

Akari blushed a bit at his manner and looks before looking away and murmuring, "No, you're fine." Before she could say more, her eyes widened in surprise as one of Ryou's arms went around her. Holding her close, Ryou looked at the stranger cautiously while saying, "Thank you for catching her." The stranger bowed again before brightening up.

"I recognize those uniforms!" he exclaimed, "I have one!"

Ryou looked at him questioningly before asking, "What do you mean? Do you go to Mizumoto High too?"

With a laugh the strange boy shook his head and said, "Well I will be going there. I start tomorrow." Recognition dawned in Akari's eyes and she pulled out of Ryou's arm. Stepping forward, she offered him a hand and a bright smile, saying, "It's a pleasure to meet you! My name is Ichikawa Akari, and this is my good friend Tanaka Ryou. You'll be in our class, class one b."

His dark eyes roamed Akari again, earning a frown from Ryou as the young man introduced himself to the two of them.

"My name is Kurai Kage, and I'm honored to have such a lovely girl in my class." He gave her another playboy smile, this time causing Ryou to glare at him before the taller boy pulled Akari back towards him. Turning to go, Ryou said over his shoulder, "It's nice to meet you. We'll see you in class tomorrow, Kurai-san. Good-bye."

As Akari protested that they should show Kurai around, the young man waved to them, watching as they exited the supermarket.

* * *

"Geez, Ryou! What was that about?" Akari complained as the two walked home without the groceries they'd been sent to get. In a huff, Ryou turned to his companion and shook his head as if to clear it of the image of how Akari had blushed so easily when Kurai had talked to her. Without thinking, Ryou snapped, "Don't be so familiar with strangers, Akari! You don't know what they'll do to you!"

Instantly he regretted his words as a look of extreme hurt fell over her face. Eyes downcast, she kicked at the ground and muttered an apology.

"Sorry, I was just trying to be friendly to the new student…" she said, her mouth set in an upset line.

"Akari, that's not what I meant, I-"

"Let's just go home." Leaving behind a speechless Ryou, Akari took off towards the house with a straight back and a frown on her face.

Kurai didn't venture into the Human World without good reason, but as he leaned against a wall casually and watched the two friends fight he smiled to himself. This was turning out to be more entertaining than he'd thought.

One look at the two had told him they were close, and when he'd seen how protective the boy was of Akari it was blatantly obvious that he was in love with her. When Akari got upset at his words, it was just as obvious that she felt the same way about him. Breaking the two apart would be far too much fun, although he could tell that it wouldn't be easy. It would have to be a quick separation, because if he left them together for much longer than the two would never part.

His tongue roamed over a slightly pointed tooth before his eyes flashed at the thought of his reward.

It had been far too long since he'd chased after something so tantalizing.

* * *

**So yeah...updates on this story are going to be far between each other, mostly because I know where things are going but don't know quite how to put them into words the way I want XD I literally wrote this chapter five times before I decided to post XD**

**But yeah. Anyways XD Thanks for reading/reviewing, and look for whenever this story updates again! You guys are awesome! :)**  
**(Also, have an AWESOME new year!)**


	5. Chapter 4

_**Chapter 4**_

As Kurai introduced himself to the class, Ryou glanced over at Akari. The night before he'd knocked on her door and insisted she let him in to say an apology. As he'd sat on her bed and apologized, she'd just watched him with a sad face before forgiving him and sending him out to the hall. The way she'd been so curt with him couldn't help but make him worry that she was still upset with him over how he'd snapped at her.

The two of them rarely fought, but everytime they did Ryou would feel horribly guilty until Akari reassured him that she wasn't angry with him over the incident.

Akari, for her part, was more upset over the spat than Ryou was. She hadn't expected him to turn on her with such an angry face, and only for greeting the new student. It would make the fact that she was showing Kurai around that much harder for her. Fighting with Ryou was never good, especially now that she had finally finished her letter and was just waiting for the right time to slip it into his locker.

Introduction finished, Kurai cast a disdainful glance over the pair of them. One look at their faces said that the two were far too busy being worried about each other to even be concerned with the new student. Fading into a background was what he did best, but all the same he was here to stand out and grab Akari's attention. With a small frown, he headed towards his seat, watching the two of them with narrowed eyes for the remainder of the class period.

As soon as the bell rang, signaling lunch, Kurai made his move.

Ignoring the swarm of girls already starting to surround him at this point, he made a beeline for Akari's desk. Ryou, from his seat, saw this and made it a point to try and get there first. As a result, the two boys arrived at Akari's desk breathing heavily, while they glared at each other. Before either one of them could speak however, Akari stood up and smiled apologetically at the two of them.

"Sorry," she told the stunned pair, "But Rita and I um…we have something important to do." Not giving either of them a chance to complain or ask what was going on, Rita swooped in and hooked Akari's arm in hers. The two watched Akari and Rita leave before turning on each other.

"Can I help you?" Ryou asked in a cool voice, looking down at the slightly shorter Kurai. Spitefully, Kurai turned his back on his now-rival and and waved a hand carelessly over his shoulder. "You can't help me, only Akari can do that," the good-looking boy answered as girls once again swarmed him. Ryou glared before turning on his heel and walking out of the classroom in search of his sister and friend.

While Kurai was pressed with gifts from girls on all sides, he sat mulling over the entire situation. Initially he'd thought that breaking the two of them apart would be easy if done quickly, but he hadn't fully realized that thought until just now. Playing nice was always his strategy, but that was also provided that his target didn't already have affection elsewhere.

Patience had never been his strong point, and he didn't want to stay in the Human World making this girl fall in love with him when he had bigger plans back in his own world. A plan already forming in his mind, he stood up and excused himself to the restroom while Ryou eyed him suspiciously all the way out the door.

* * *

It was with trembling hands that Akari slipped the pink envelope out of her skirt pocket. As she stared at the locker in front of her, she began to tremble all over until Rita shoved her light-heartedly. With a grin, the taller girl smiled at her friend before shaking her head and exclaiming, "Honestly, Akari, it's just Ryou. Just give it to him and let's go eat already!"

With a deep breath, Akari reached up to slip the letter into the locker before running off as quickly as she could. Rita shook her head, before shoving the letter in properly and walking off after her friend. Neither one of the girls had noticed that they were not the only ones in the room; when Kurai stepped out of the shadows he grinned a little.

His powers were far more useful than he himself would ever care to admit.

Casually, Kurai walked over to Ryou's locker before taking out the envelope and looking at it with interest. He slid his thumb underneath the edge and carelessly flipped it open, before his eyes scanned the content. Hiding a smile, Kurai shoved the letter back inside before pocketing the envelope and heading off towards the classroom once more.

* * *

At the end of the day, Akari picked up her book bag with trembling hands. Closing her eyes, she made a silent prayer that when she saw Ryou in the house later things wouldn't be awkward. As she stood up, Ryou made his way over to her seat. Noticing that somehow she was distressed, he frowned before gently laying a hand on her shoulder.

"Akari," he said with a troubled expression, "Are you alright? Is something wrong?"

Turning a furious shade of red Akari jerked back and out of his grasp before turning around and stuttering, "I-I'm fine! Anyways, I'll be going ahead today so I'll see you at the house!" As she left quickly, Kurai got up and walked over to Ryou, noting with satisfaction that there was a confused and hurt look on his face.

"What's wrong, Tanaka-kun? Did you have a spat with you girlfriend or something?" Kurai jeered, watching as Ryou turned pink before glaring at him and curling his hands into fists.

Clearing his throat, Ryou looked out the window and muttered, "She's not my girlfriend…"

Closing his eyes, Kurai smirked before leaning back against the nearest desk and saying, "But you wish she was, don't you?"

Instantly tense, Ryou rushed forward and grabbed Kurai menacingly by his shirtfront. Rather than acting frightened, as most would when being confronted by someone of Ryou's height, Kurai looked bored with this whole affair. Smacking Ryou's hand off, he said, "You're only making things worse by pretending you aren't, you know. Besides, I just want to help you."

Kurai hid a smile as Ryou knitted his eyebrows in confusion before saying, "Help me? How?"

With a shrug, Kurai stepped back and headed out of the classroom. Over his shoulder, he called, "You'll see. Goodbye, Tanaka-kun."

Leaving Ryou standing behind him with a confused expression, Kurai allowed himself a quick smile before heading after his main target.

* * *

With a deep breath, Akari exited the school grounds. She turned to head towards the train station when a whistle caught her attention. Slowly, she looked over in the direction of the whistle. To her surprise, Kurai was standing there, leaning against a pole with his book bag slung carelessly over her shoulder. When he saw that he had her attention, he grinned before holding up a pink envelope and wagging his eyebrows at her knowingly. Repressing a shriek, Akari walked over to him quickly and grabbed his wrist. Dragging him off in the opposite direction of home, she failed to notice that her antics had been seen by a disapproving Rita.

By the time Akari and Kurai reached the park, she was out of breath. Having literally dragged him through several streets and crowds, the poor girl was beyond words when he pulled out the pink envelope and waved it at her. With a hiss she snatched the paper from his hands before saying, "Where did you get this!?"

Her attitude surprised him slightly; he hadn't expected her to be so intense about something like a love letter. Leaning back slightly, Kurai shrugged before muttering, "Calm down. It's not like I've told anybody. I found it on the ground during lunch hour, when I went to go check for something near the lockers." He watched as she deflated before sighing and crouching down on the ground, holding her head in her hands. With a curious voice, he asked, "Don't you two live in the same house?"

Akari looked up, panicked again as she demanded, "How did you know that? No one in the school is supposed to know that!"

Hands up defensively, Kurai reassured her, "No one knows about it, I just figured it out when I saw you two shopping for the same house. Is that why you two were shopping so far away from this district?"

"Yeah," Akari said hesitantly, wondering how safe it was to start talking. Deciding that she was going to have to trust him a little, she muttered, "Ryou's parents insisted that I keep my own name and pretend I'm living next door so that the other students don't make fun of us for living together. It's scandalous, to have a girl sleeping in the same house as a guy she's not even related to, no matter how close of friends the parents may have been. And if I'm going to confess to him it's best that no one from the school knows we're under the same roof, otherwise…"

Gears clicked and Kurai nodded before saying thoughtfully, "They'll assume things. I understand, but I also know that you like him now since you're freaking out so much about that envelope."

Resisting the urge to grin, he slid his hands into his pockets and looked away as Akari straightened up and said slowly, "Please…please don't tell anyone. Don't tell him, I can't…"

Kurai watched with a small smirk as Akari struggled for words. She was so weak, so deliciously insecure…but it would make things that much easier for him. And this love letter was only the beginning of so many possibilities, all leading to the same ending. Reaching out, he patted her gently on the head and said as softly as he could, "It's fine. I won't say anything to him. But Akari…do you really think giving him this is such a smart idea?"

"Huh?" While she looked up at him, confusion painted on her face, Kurai shrugged and looked out into the distance. Hiding a wicked smile, he asked, "After all, isn't he just going to reject a girl he only sees as a little sister?"

* * *

**Sorry for such a long time period in between XD I finished up one story and started another, since I had big time writers' block for this piece! These stories are like my brainchildren, so I want to make sure they're really good even if it means postponing updates-which I normally don't do. I mean, anyone whose read my other stories know I always update as frequently and as soon as I can XD **

**So apologies on taking so long!**

**Anyways, Akari made a mistake by deciding to write a love letter...she really ought to have just come out and said it because now Kurai's got her attention and he's about to wrap her around his manipulative little fingers...**

**Thanks for reads and reviews, see you on the next update!**


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